The attack leverages weaponized PDF documents disguised as research papers, grant applications, or official government communiques to entice unsuspecting victims into initiating the infection chain. The malware employs advanced social engineering tactics to increase its success rate, creating convincing decoy documents that appear legitimate to even security-conscious users. Behind the scenes, the initial dropper executes and deploys a Golang-based shellcode loader responsible for memory-based execution of the primary payload, significantly reducing detection rates by traditional security solutions. Cyber Security News is a Dedicated News Platform For Cyber News, Cyber Attack News, Hacking News & Vulnerability Analysis. With years of experience under his belt in Cyber Security, he is covering Cyber Security News, technology and other news. A sophisticated malware campaign dubbed “HollowQuill” has emerged as a significant threat to academic institutions and government agencies worldwide. This initial compromise leads to deployment of multiple payloads including a legitimate OneDrive application that helps the malware blend into normal system operations. Tushar is a Cyber security content editor with a passion for creating captivating and informative content. Recommended defenses include disabling office macro scripts, implementing application allowlisting, and monitoring for DNS query anomalies to counter this evolving threat landscape. The attack demonstrates remarkable technical sophistication, beginning with the distribution of malicious RAR archives containing a .NET malware dropper. Once opened, these seemingly innocuous PDFs trigger a complex multi-stage infection process designed to evade detection while establishing persistence. Their research indicates the attackers are likely pursuing sensitive government and academic data for espionage purposes. The HollowQuill infection chain begins when users open seemingly legitimate PDF documents. This sophisticated mechanism allows attackers to maintain persistence while extracting sensitive information from compromised systems.
This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:30:36 +0000